Illuminated switch



Get. 23, 1956 E H BLADH ILLUMINATED SWITCH Filed Sept. 7, 1951 INVENTOR. EZWZ Mw ATTORNEYS.

United States Patent 6 ILLUMINATED SWITCH Elmer H. Bladh, North College Hill, Ohio, assignor to Nu Tone, Inc., Cincinnati, ()hio, a corporation of New York Application September 7, 1951, Serial No. 245,579

1 Claim. (Cl. 40-130) This invention relates to push button switches of the type adapted for use in residential signal circuits. It is directed particularly to a low voltage switch embodying an electric lamp bulb therein by means of which the push button and appropriate indicia, such as the name of the residence occupant, may be illuminated for Visibility.

Typical push button switches of the type to which the present invention relates are usually installed adjacent the door of a residence, the push buttons being interconnected electrically to bell, buzzer or chime circuits through which the presence of a caller may be announced upon switch actuation. Since switches of this type often are to be placed in narrow, shallow mouldings or door frames, it is requisite that the entire switch unit, even though it is to contain an electric lamp, be of small size. It is also very important that the switch, however small, be rugged and durable, both structurally and electrically, in order that it may withstand exposure to all kinds of weather, day after day, for many years. In addition, it is desirable that the switch be attractive in appearance, or at least inconspicuous, in order that it may not detract from the decor of the doorway or other .point of installation.

Thus, the principal objective of the present invention has been to provide a small but reliable, and attractive but inexpensive, doorbell unit embodying an electric switch, a place within which indicia may be installed, such as the name of the occupant or a residence or apartment, and an electric lamp which is capable of operating from the energy of the signal circuit to furnish illumination upon the switch and indicia at nighttime or when the prevailing light is inadequate to make them visible.

It is also the objective of the invention to provide a switch construction in which the lamp is housed and protected against accidental breakage either during normal usage of the unit, or during the manipulation which is incidental to the insertion of indicia denoting a name, number, or the like, and the installation of the unit in a door frame.

The switch of the present invention consists essentially of a housing formed of transparent plastic material within which a push button is installed, the button being actuable from the front face of the housing for energization of a signal circuit. The transparent material such as Lucite, of which the housing is constructed, is capable of transmitting light which is focused upon or directed through it so that a lamp bulb mounted in one part of the housing is effective to illuminate a push button spaced remotely from it.

In the present construction, illumination is focused essentially upon the push button itself and upon the indicia denoting owners name, etc., in order that the entire unit may serve its function without becoming conspicuously bright. To accomplish this result, the housing of transparent material is provided with a recess adjacent the push button, within which indicia may be inserted upon a card or piece of paper, and the housing contains a further recess within which an illuminating lamp is mounted.

The interior surfaces of the housing through which light is not to be transmitted carry a film coating of a metallic paint or the like which lends an attractive metallic appearance to the unit as a whole, just as though it were made out of polished metal. For instance, if a gold paint is applied to the inner surfaces of the housing, the push button unit assumes the appearance of a brightly polished brass construction and is very ornamental in appearance. However, certain portions of the housing are uncoated to provide a light path through the housing from the lamp to the indicia and to the push button. Therefore, upon energization of the lamp, the lamp itself remains invisible, but light is shed upon the indicia and upon the push button so as to make them visible.

In the preferred construction of the present invention, the electric lamp is arranged in shunt circuit connection with the push button switch, and therefore, is energized at all times. The lead wires through which these connections are contrived are carried upon a backing piece which is adapted to be received by the housing and thereby form a closure at the back face thereof. The backing piece, therefore, serves the double purpose of supporting the electrical connector wires rigidly so that they do not tend to become detached or broken, and also serves as a substantially weather-tight enclosure for the casing protecting the lamp and indicia against the effects of weather. The backing also furnishes weather protection against the deterioration of the film of metallic paint which is applied to some of the recess surfaces, and thereby enables this paint to display an undiminished effect through the other side of the housing.

Thus, the transparent housing not only protects the metallic finish but, in addition, the housing itself provides a light conductive medium by means of which light may be transmitted from the light bulb to the push button which is preferably embedded in the housing at a point remote frim the bulb. Moreover, by providing a clear window portion in the metallic finish adjacent the bulb and push button, a name bearing card can be placed within the housing so that it is visible to anyone standing in position to press the button and will be illuminated by light passing from the bulb to the push button.

In the preferred embodiment of my invention, the name bearing card also functions to cushion the lamp bulb against vibrations. Although the housing absorbs most of the shock caused by depressing the push button, I have determined that it is advisable, to further minimize the effects of vibrations upon the lamp bulb, to resiliently support the bulb against the housing. Preferably, the lamp bulb is supported adjacent to its upper end by the two lead-in wires which are soldered to a base plate forming the back of the housing, the upper end of the glass envelope being spaced from both the base plate and the housing. The name bearing card is interposed between the bulb and base plate urging the bulb away from the plate and against the wall of a bulb receiving recess in the housing. Thus, the bulb is cushioned between the housing and the name plate, free from contact with anything else, so that the chance of vibratory damage to the bulb is further minimized.

A still further object of my invention is to provide an illuminated light switch in which various component parts may be sub-assembled into units and the units then assembled to form the completed switch whereby the switch may be efliciently and cheaply produced. In the preferred embodiment, the lamp bulb, base plate, and wiring for connecting the lamp to the switch terminals are sub-assembled to form an insert unit and the housing and push button are pre-assembled to form a second unit. To complete the construction of the switch, the insert unit is placed in the housing and the two units are joined by means of two bolts which secure the lamp wiring to the switch terminals and also serve as the 3 structural members for holding the insert unit within the housing.

These and other objects of my invention will be more readily apparent from a consideration of the specificatron in conjunction with an illustration of one embodiment of my invention.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a front elevational view of an illuminated push button constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the illuminated push button.

Figure 3 is a rear elevational view of the push button, with the rear plate removed.

Figure 4 is a cross sectional view taken along line 4--4 of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a cross sectional view taken along line .5-5 of Figure 1.

Figure 6 is a schematic wiring diagram showing an illuminated push button installed in a doorbell circuit.

Figure 7 is a cross sectional view of one of the connectors, the view being taken along line 77 of Figure 3.

The illuminated push button shown generally at 10 preferably comprises a transparent housing 11 formed of Lucite or some similar material, a light bulb 12, a push button 13, and a name plate 14. In the preferred embodiment, the interior of the housing is serrated as at 15 or otherwise configurated to give the unit a fanciful and pleasing appearance. Additionally, the inner surface of the housing is sprayed or otherwise coated with a colored paint such as bronze enamel 16 to give a metallic appearance to the housing. Two portions of the housing are not coated with paint; those portions are the light emitting end 17 of bulb receiving recess 18, and that portion of the housing intermediate light bulb 12 and push button 13 which I shall call window 20. An indicia or name bearing card 14 is mounted within the housing behind window 20 so that the name imprinted upon the card is readily visible when the switch is viewed from the front.

More particularly, the housing 11 is molded or otherwise formed to provide a bulb receiving recess 18 which is substantially semi-circular in cross section and is disposed adjacent to a removed portion 21 forming a part of window 20. An aperture is provided for receiving a push button assembly 22 and openings 23 are provided for screws by means of which the housing is secured to the door frame or other structural member upon which it is to be mounted. A marginal flange or rim 24 is provided on the rear of the housing for facial abutment with the member to which the housing is to be secured. Flange 24 also embraces base plate 25 and cover plate 26 which constitute the back members of the illuminated switch unit. Base plate 25 and cover plate 26 are constituted of any non-conductive material such as oil impregnated pressed paper, fiberboard, or the like.

As shown in Figures 1 and 5, the entire inner surface of the housing is painted or sprayed as with a bronze paint, for example, except for light emitting portion 17 of bulb receiving recess 18, and window 20. It will be noted that the light emitting portion 17 is disposed outwardly (toward the front face of the housing 11) of painted surface 27 which extends below the window and surrounds the push button assembly 22. The light emitting portion 17 is also spaced outwardly of card 14 which rests against shoulder 19 provided in housing 11. The light rays from the bulb 12 are thus directed onto the name bearing card 14 to illuminate it and pass downwardly through the transparent housing 11 to illuminate the push button assembly 22.

Bulb 12 resides within recess 18 and is mounted upon base plate 25 by means of two lead-in wires 23 which are electrically connected to the filament of the bulb and pass through apertures 29-29 in base plate 25. The ends of lead-in wires 28 are soldered to solder spots 30 which are formed on rivets driven through base plate 25 or are attached in any similar manner. Leads 31 interconnect solder spots 30 and connectors 32. Connectors 32 are riveted or in some similar manner secured to base plate 25 and are bolted as by bolts 33 to the terminals of the switch button assembly 22. More specifically, as shown particularly in Figure 7, connectors 32 are preferably provided with an opening in one end. A rivet 32a is passed through this opening and through a similar aperture provided in base plate 25. The two ends of the rivet are upset or overturned so that they engage both the connector and base plate holding the two securely together. Leads 31 are preferably joined to the connectors at the rivets by means of solder spots 326, the solder spots being formed by filling the open center of rivet 32a with solder after the end of lead 31 has been placed therein. The opposite end of each of the connectors is also provided with an opening which is brought into registry with a similar opening in a terminal 32b of the switch button. Each of the terminals 32b is provided with an internal threaded portion and bolts 33 are passed through the openings in the connectors and threadably engage the terminals whereby the connectors are both electrically and structurally secured to the switch button assembly. The circuit leads (not shown) for the bell are also connected to the terminals of the switch button assembly by means of bolts 33.

The lamp 12 is preferably of the tungsten coiled-coil filament type. Such lamps are capable of being energized at the lowest voltages upon which the usual signal circuits operate and yet give satisfactory service in any in stallation, even through prevailing voltage conditions vary from residence to residence. Normally, in a shunt circuit connection of the type disclosed, the signal circuit voltage is impressed across the lamp filament, but when the switch is actuated the primary circuit is closed through the switch and the bulb goes out. As soon as the push button is released, the lamp again is energized to furnish illumination. This effect furnishes a clearcut signal indication to the caller.

The only available coiled-coil tungsten filament lamp is a small, delicate lamp having two frail lead-in wires which emerge from one end of the glass envelope. These wires are quite susceptible to breakage and it is of extreme importance that the lamp be protected from vibrations, the cumulative effect of which would be to fracture the lead-in wires.

In the embodiment shown in Figures 1 through 5, the lamp bulb is secured to the base plate by means of leadin wires 28 in such a manner that the glass envelope, when inserted in the bulb receiving recess, is spaced from both the base plate and the wall of the housing. The lower end of the bulb is resiliently urged against the front wall of the bulb receiving recess by means of the name card 14 which is disposed intermediate the bulb and the base plate. The name card is effective to cushion the bulb against any shocks introduced by manipulation of the push button 13.

The push button assembly 22 may be of any conventional type and includes a casing 34 which resides in an opening 35 provided in housing 11, a push button 13, slidably mounted within the casing 34, a non-conductive washer 36 which fits against the back of the housing 11, and rivets 37 or some similar means for securing the washer to the casing thereby holding the push button assembly firmly in place within the housing 11.

As shown diagrammatically in Figure 6, the secondary of a low voltage transformer 40 is connected through leads 41, 4-2, and 43, and a coil of hell 44 to the terminals of 45 and 46 of push button 13. Lamp bulb 12 is shunted across the terminals of the switch so that it glows continuously except when the push button is depressed and the lamp is short-circuited (it being understood that depressing button 13 completes the circuit across terminals 45 and 46). Bell 44 is energized sufficiently to cause it to ring only when the button 13 is depressed since the lamp is of sufliciently high resistance that when the switch is not closed, the current flowing through the bell is not large enough to cause the bell to ring.

The manufacture of the preferred embodiment of my illuminated switch button is greatly simplified through the use of .a base plate 25 upon which the entire insert unit is assembled. Base plate 25 may be stamped to size and the openings 29 for leads 23 and openings 23 for the mounting screws may be simultaneously formed therein.

The bulb may be mounted upon base plate 25 by passing wires 28 through openings 29 and soldering them to solder spot 30 formed on rivets driven through base plate 25. Connectors 32 may then be riveted to base plate 25 and leads 31 soldered to solder spots 30 and to the connectors. Thus, the lamp bulb, its support, and all necessary wiring may be pre-assembled and then merely inserted into the rear of the housing, Where it is automatically positioned by rim 24. The connectors may then be bolted to the terminals of the push button assembly 22. It will be understood that the push button and housing were previously assembled by means of rivets 37, which connect casing 34 and Washer 36. Connectors 32 thus serve as structural clips securing the entire insert unit within the housing. Name bearing card 14 can be inserted behind bulb 12 and against shoulder 19 by bending the flexible base plate 25 to permit insertion of the card. To complete the assembly, cover plate 26 is inserted over base plate 25 and is secured in place as by cement.

Having described my invention, I claim:

An illuminated switch comprising a transparent housing, a base plate, a lamp, said lamp including a glass envelope and lead-in wires emerging from one end thereof, said lead-in wires being secured to said base plate, a push button mounted in said housing, said lamp being disposed so that the end from which said lead-in wires emerge is remote from said push button, a name card disposed intermediate said base plate and the end of said lamp bulb disposed toward said push button, said card being eflfective to urge the end of said bulb against said housing whereby said bulb is cushioned against vibration.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,101,376 Abbott June 23, 1914 1,364,916 Carse Jan. 11, 1921 1,533,508 Miller Apr. 14, 1925 2,097,625 Langlotz Nov. 2, 1937 2,157,772 McCann May 9, 1939 2,266,841 Altschule Dec. 23, 1941 2,284,600 Altschule May 26, 1942 2,338,757 Curran Jan. 11, 1944 2,504,873 Porter Apr. 18, 1950 2,526,992 Bienmann Oct. 24, 1950 

